12.05.2016

Hi sweet friends! I'm so excited that Christmas is just three weeks away! I love this time of year for so many reasons, and one of my most recent favorite traditions is sending out family Christmas cards.

I can't say enough wonderful things about Tiny Prints! We've partnered with them for the last 3 years for sending out our Christmas cards and every year the designs are even prettier than the last! Here's a peek at our Christmas card this year.

I'm especially in love with the new envelopes they offer! Our address was printed on the back which saved me so much time when addressing. Seriously so in love! I'm all about personalizing and I feel like every piece is so perfectly us.

9.03.2016

So we've been in this apartment for about three years now. It's not the biggest space, but it's cozy and we've managed to make it feel like home. We've redecorated and updated a few things over the years, so I wanted to share a peek. There's still a few things we'd like to add, but it's basically a dream come true to me.

One of our newest pieces is this rug. We had the same rug since we moved in, and we got this rug, from Rug Safari Corporation, and it is so perfect for brightening up our space! It is so so soft and Gretchen is definitely a fan.

This space is perfect for cuddling up to watch Neflix, for early morning homework, for reading next to a long dog, for painting on Saturday mornings, and for living life with my sweet little family.

7.19.2016

I've been loving this Summer weather! Most days I spend inside at work, but walking Gretchen at around 8, is thee best! The sun is usually starting to set and the temp is just right. Texas Summers are generally pretty killer, but we're making it through just fine.

6.12.2016

It's been awhile, friends! I have been up to quite a bit, so here's a quick rundown. I am finishing up my Masters in December, and homework has been eating up a lot of my free time. I got promoted! I'm now the Director of Online Admissions at SAGU. I started using Snapchat, and it's definitely a good distraction (pienthesky if you want to follow along). Gretchen is now 4 and she's really into long walks and scrambled eggs, lately. Elisha has run several races, and this year he's planning to trifecta TWICE for the Spartan Race. I visited Salt Lake City, New York, Austin, and San Antonio this year, and we have a big vacation planned for August - more to come! I've been painting... a lot! I've been painting prints, wood slices, and more recently, some abstract canvases - you can check them out in the shop. I honestly never thought it would be such a significant part of my life, but I thoroughly enjoy it. Finally, I have been purging my closet and seeking a more minimal wardrobe, which involves incorporating a new staple piece back into my life; I've started to wear watches! I used to wear a watch every single day until about my freshman year of high school (over ten years ago - whoa I'm feeling old!). I'm not sure why I stopped wearing them, but I have recently fallen back in love! I got this beautiful wood watch from JORD, and I am simply smitten. Like whoa.

I really love the coloring of this one, and I feel like it matches everything I wear perfectly. The Zebrawood is beautiful and I love that it has a luxurious look, and is handcrafted with gorgeous materials. Even the packing is unique and special. If you're looking to add to your collection, or start it, be sure to check out JORD. They also have a really great collection of men's watches which would be perfect for Father's Day, which is right around the corner (that snuck up!). I'm thinking Elisha might need one to match mine.

1.08.2016

Ever since I first heard the sweet songs of Ingrid Michaelson, I've envisioned myself as one day owning and play sweet tunes on a ukulele of my own. I am happy to share that I can now say that the owning part is taken care of; now onto learning how to play it!

Step 1 | You'll want to begin by attaching the neck to the body. I had to sand down the connecting piece quite a bit because it didn't fit in just right, but after I did that I used some glue to keep it in place.

Step 2 | Paint! The kit instructions suggest you do this later, but I didn't want to get any paint on the other parts, so I got it out of the way early on. You can be as creative as you want here! I went with a fun floral pattern.

Step 3 | You'll want to lay down and glue your fret board and your bridge. The kit gives exact measurements, so I won't go into that. Once you glue, use a clamp or rubber bands to help the pieces set.

Step 4 | Following the kit instructions, and maybe a helpful Youtube video, you'll string your uke after you've placed your tuners! These strings were a bit more plastic(y) than I had hoped, which made it a bit difficult to tune, so I may buy additional strings. Now you're ready to play!

I think this is a great starter uke, or just really cute decor - ha! This would make a sweet gift for a kid or a friend. Hope you'll try it out and let me know what you think! I know I'm going to hang on to mine for a long while, and hopefully pass it down to my someday daughter! Happy Crafting!